Color Me Distracted
by pixelatrix
Summary: If this went wrong, there would go her career, right down the fucking drain. Massani/Fem Shep/Hackett. Very AU. Slight Spoilers for ME3. Rated M for Language & Stuff.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**Rated M for a language and stuff.**

**This happens during/after the Citadel DLC. VERY slight spoilers for ME3.**

**One/or maybe two/ shot featuring a brief interlude between Shepard/Zaeed/Hackett**

**Beta: None. Mistakes are all my own.**

**Bioware owns all. Sadly.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Follow. Favorite. I'll love you forever lol.**

Theoretically speaking, Shepard should have been focused on the mission at hand. Brooks was on her way through the vents. But…she found herself incredibly distracted by a man…two men…in suits. Liara headed over to deal with one of the guards that were underneath a grating in the ceiling. Shepard went the other direction, towards a booth in the corner where Admiral Hackett and Zaeed Masasni were having a drink.

"Do I want to know why you two know each other?" She stood beside the table looking between them.

"After the First Contact War. I saved the bastard's life." Zaeed smirked up at her.

"Massani has the war part right, but I think I saved his life," Hackett corrected. He took in the tight dress that Shepard was wearing. "I didn't know you were attending the event."

"It was a last-minute thing." She heard Liara telling her to cut the conversation short. "I'm in the middle of…something. I should go."

She could feel both pairs of eyes watching her as she walked away. Brooks had yet another problem, Shepard bypassed one terminal while Liara handled the other one. They had more time to kill so while Liara chatted with the bartender, she found herself drawn back over to the two men.

"Back again, Commander?" Hackett slid over in the booth. "Take a seat."

"I can't, I'm…"

"We've been watching you hack terminals and distract guards. What _are_ you doing, Shepard?" Hackett raised an eyebrow at her.

"Dealing with a small problem," she shrugged.

"So why do you keep coming over to bother to old bastards?" Zaeed swirled the scotch in his glass around while he watched her.

_She couldn't answer that honestly, especially not with Liara and Brooks listening into the conversation._

"Shepard?" Hackett prompted her after a moment.

_Damn it._

She reached up to turn her comm off for a moment which from the looks on their faces had piqued the interest of both men.

"Got something that you don't want anyone else to hear, Shepard?" Massani slid his glass over to her. "Have a shot of liquid courage."

She took a swig then set the glass down. _If this went wrong, there would go her career, right down the fucking drain. _"I keep coming back over here because I find the two of you, in suits, fucking distracting."

"Are we distracting, Massani?" Hackett glanced at the man across the table.

"Have you looked in the mirror? It's definitely…a distraction for me when I see you," Zaeed chuckled.

"I have a mission to get back to." Shepard rolled her eyes at the two men. She reached up to turn the comm back on but Zaeed pushed her hand back down. "Yes?"

"Would you like to be _more_ distracted?" His hand was still wrapped around her wrist and his thumb began trace circles along the underside of her arm.

Hackett exchanged a knowing look with Massani that made her wonder if they'd done this before. The Admiral turned his attention back to her. "And by more distracted, I believe he means _a lot_ more."

She licked her lips nervously and nodded. Liara stepped over to whisper in her ear. She nodded sharply at her then turned back to the two men. "I guess it'll just have to wait."

"Don't worry. We'll find you." Zaeed caressed her wrist one last time and then let go of her.

Dealing with her _clone_ took hours; she took a long shower and changed back into the comfort of her cargo pants and hoodie when it was all over. She sat at the upstairs bar of Silver Coast Casino. She sipped brandy and watched Garrus awkwardly flirt with a female turian. It was…sad. She'd be sure to tease the hell out of him for it later. She turned back towards the bartender to ask for a refill.

"All alone for the evening, sweetheart?" Zaeed pressed his body against her from behind.

She tilted her head back to look at him. "So far."

"Good." He stepped back to take her hand and pulled her off of the bar stool.

"I was having a drink." She complained as he led her away from the bar towards the exit. Hackett stood by the door.

"You have two bars in your new apartment. I'm sure that we can find you a drink there." Hackett stepped out of the Casino and the three of them walked to Tiberius Towers.

The moment that they stepped into her apartment, the casual demeanor of the two men faded away. Zaeed turned her so that she was facing him and then he backed her up until she was flush against Hackett. Massani unzipped her hoodie and pushed it off of her. Hackett lift her hair and his lips began to kiss her neck.

"Are you _distracted, _Shepard?" Hackett whispered into her ear.

Her tank-top was pulled off next. Zaeed knelt in front of her to pull her shoes off and remove her trousers. Hackett's hands slid around her to cup her breasts. His fingers teasing slow circles just around her nipples without touching them. Naked…standing between Admiral Hackett and Zaeed Massani was not how she thought her day would end.

_She did not intend to complain._

Especially when Zaeed's fingers moved up her inner thighs, the two sets of hands on her worked well in tandem. She had no doubts that they'd done this before. Massani stood up when Hackett turned her around to face him. She slowly unbuttoned the Admiral's shirt, tossing it aside and running her hands across his chest. A quick glance over her shoulder informed her that Zaeed had removed his clothing. He pulled her back around. With his fingers on her chin, he slid his tongue across her lips before planting a searing kiss on her mouth.

Hands moved across her back and down over her behind. She spread her legs enough to allow Hackett's fingers to move between them. Zaeed continued to explore her mouth while his fingers played with her breasts. She was starting to lose track of whose mouth and fingers were where. She slid her hand back behind her to find the Admiral had gotten completely nude as well. Her other hand glided down across Zaeed's abdomen to stroke him as well.

"So warm and wet," Hackett's lips brushed against her ear while he spoke. His moved first one then two fingers inside of her.

"Oh god," Shepard gasped into Zaeed's kiss when Hackett slid another finger into her. She was so damn close.

"That's right sweetheart, just enjoy." Zaeed moved down to capture on of her nipples in his mouth.

His hand slid across her stomach down to tease her. The different hands, fingers on her proved too much to handle and she bucked against them. The only thing that kept her from dropping to the floor was a firm arm wrapped around her waist and the pressure from Hackett's body. He lifted her up in his arms and carried her over to the nearby recliner.

Sitting down with Shepard in his lap, Hackett turned her so she was straddling his waist. She was wet enough that as she sat down, he moved into her with ease. Zaeed came over to stand next to the chair and she stroked him with her hand before pulling him close enough to use her mouth. His hand tangled in her hair. Hackett had a hand on her waist and the other on her breast. Massani's free hand came down to tease her other breast.

It felt like time slowed and sped up at the same damn time. They found a rhythm to their movements. And she found herself being pushed down and alternately lifted between them. By the time the two men lost control, she felt as if she'd exploded multiple times. They cleaned her up and carried her over to one of the three beds in the apartment. She found herself tucked in between the two of them.

"I've never seen you so bloody quiet," Zaeed chuckled.

"Color me fucking distracted." She ignored the smirk on his face. "Is this where you tell me that this can never happen again and it gets all awkward and shit?"

"That's what happens when you sleep with boys." Hackett's arm tightened around her. He rubbed his beard against her back. "I don't think I've finished distracting you."

"It could happen again now if you'd roll the fuck over on me." Zaeed tweaked her breast with his thumb.

"I never did get my damn drink." She complained before complying with his request to _'roll the fuck over.'_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

**Rated M for a language and stuff.**

**This happens before the return to Earth(but after Sanctuary) VERY slight spoilers for ME3.**

**Shepard's name in this is Adelina(or Addie)**

**Beta: CelticGrace. **

**Bioware owns all. Sadly.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Follow. Favorite. I'll love you forever lol.**

_From: Zaeed Massani_

_To: Addie Shepard_

_Subj: Plans_

_Have any plans for this evening?_

_Zaeed_

* * *

_From: Addie Shepard_

_To: Zaeed Massani_

_Subj: re: Plans_

_I do actually_

_Addie_

* * *

_From: Zaeed Massani_

_To: Addie Shepard_

_Subj: re: Plans_

_Cancel them._

_We__ plan on distracting you again._

_Zaeed_

* * *

_From: Addie Shepard_

_To: Zaeed Massani_

_Subj: re: Plans_

_No._

_I'm scheduled for a few matches at the Armax Arsenal Arena._

_Shepard_

_P.S. I don't have a squad yet. Can you two pushy bastards still fit in your armor? If you can, meet me at 1800._

* * *

Shepard was in the women's changing room getting into her armor when the door slid open. She glanced over her shoulder to see Massani and Hackett standing there. Zaeed sealed the door and they both advanced towards her.

"This is _not_ the men's room." She continued buckling up her right gauntlet and tried to ignore them.

"We know." Hackett lifted her hand away and removed the gauntlet she'd been putting on. "It's very important to _warm up _properly before strenuous exercise."

"Really?" She watched in amusement while the two men removed the rest of her armor and the fatigues she wore underneath it. "I've never heard it called _warming up._"

"You've not been _doing_ it with the right men, sweetheart." Zaeed's hand moved under her shirt up to massage her breast.

"That's…" She lost her ability to speak for a moment when Hackett's fingers began playing with her other breast.

"I think she needs another demonstration of why she belongs in _our_ bed." Hackett glanced over at Massani.

"I've got a combat simulation scheduled in the arena in a few minutes." She tried to inject a little _reality_ into the situation. "And this isn't exactly a _private_ room."

"Makes it more fun." Zaeed growled into her ear while his fingers stroked her nipple.

One strong hand moved down her abdomen in tandem with another hand that moved down her spine, she ended up sandwich between the two men. It brought a whole new meaning to warming up for her. They were finished, dressed and out the door before anyone came to see why the door was sealed. She wasn't sure when or how she'd gotten into her armor. It was all a really hot blur.

The two men joined her in the Spin Zone arena to fight through several rounds of simulated Cerberus troops. When they finished, she expected them to go their separate ways. Instead, they insisted on taking her out for dinner and regaled her with stories from the First Contact war. It was like a bizarrely perfect first date, except it wasn't a date and there were two of them.

"This was nice, but I think I should head back to my apartment." Addie set her glass down, she needed to think. "Alone."

"We'll walk you to your door." Zaeed smirked at her.

Both Massani and Hackett were perfect gentleman until they got inside the elevator that led up to the floor to her apartment. Once the doors closed, Zaeed backed up to the wall and pulled Shepard against his body. His hand moved around her thigh to lift her leg up. Hackett pressed up behind her. She was kissing one set of lips while another began to nibble at the side of her neck.

She'd clearly underestimated the heady power of two sets of hands and two pairs of lips. They could've stripped her in the elevator and she wouldn't have complained. Instead, they led her into her apartment and up to the hot tub on the second floor. Once they were all nude, Zaeed pulled her into the water with him. Hackett sat on the edge of the tub.

"You are persuasive bastards." She muttered before letting Hackett guide her mouth towards him while Massani moved in behind her. "Persuasive…bastards."

"Distracting, sweetheart, distracting," Zaeed smirked.

It was much later in the evening when they finally moved out of the water to the bed. Shepard drifted off to sleep without even bothering to see what the two _bastards_ were doing. She woke up in the morning to find herself tangled between them. Strong arms and legs that worked like a very sexy, warm cocoon around her smaller body, she leaned her head back to find Massani behind her. When she opened her eyes, she looked into the amused eyes of Hackett.

"We're hitting the Cerberus headquarters. I need to get back to the _Normandy._" Addie found both sets of arms tightened around her at the same time. "The war isn't going to end on its own. "

"We've got time, Addie." Hackett placed a kiss on her nose.

"No, we don't. And as you pointed out the other day, I'm the tip of the spear." She gave him a sad smile. "Not that I don't enjoy waking up in the middle of this sexy sandwich, but I think it's time that I get back to the war."

Zaeed leaned forward until his lips rested against her ear. "Just remember that we're bloody waiting for you to come back."

"Waiting? We'll be fighting by her side." Hackett met Zaeed's eyes over Shepard's head.

"That is a good, goddamn point," Zaeed agreed.

"Oh good, now that you've decided to…you know…do something, I'll just be getting back to being Commander Shepard." She laughed at them before scooting out from under their arms. "Good luck, boys. Don't get shot."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**Rated M for a language and stuff.**

**The rest of this series will be after the war. VERY slight spoilers for ME3.**

**Shepard's name in this is Adelina(or Addie)**

**Beta: CelticGrace. **

**Bioware owns all. Sadly.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Follow. Favorite. I'll love you forever lol.**

Waking up in the Med Bay was possibly the worst part about being a marine; it had never been a good thing. The fact that she woke up was good news. The bad news turned out to be that she'd suffered serious burns over pretty much her entire body. Just what she needed, more fucking skin grafts, she'd lost all her scars and tattoos once already thanks to Cerberus.

When the doctors realized that she was awake, they gave her an update on her injuries. Aside from the burns, she'd broken several ribs and punctured her lung. She had been shot in the side at some point. Her legs had both been broken. Her nose was broken, which seemed slightly odd. The broken bones were all reset and healing. The skin grafts had been completed. She'd need to spend another week in the hospital before being released to home care.

_Home care._

_Where the fuck was she going to go?_

_She was Commander Fucking Shepard; she didn't have a family or a home to go to._

She checked herself out of the hospital a week later and moved into one of the few hotels that had reopened since the war. The Doctors didn't need to know that she didn't actually _have_ a home of her own. The _Normandy _was currently under the command of someone else, and the non-human crew members had all returned to their respective planets. She missed them all.

The hotel did not really make for a convenient place to recover but it was better than the fucking hospital. She'd been there for a few days when the door buzzed. She assumed that it was room service but instead, the door opened to reveal Admiral Hackett and Zaeed Massani standing with equally annoyed frowns on their faces.

"We are not having sex." She muttered before making her way slowly and cautiously back to the couch to stretch out on it. "I'm not really supposed to be walking."

"When the bloody doctors released you, did they know you were heading to a goddamn hotel?" Zaeed stood with his arms crossed.

"And did they know you would be alone?" Hackett looked around the room. "You…what the hell were you thinking, Shepard?"

She glared from one man to the other. "No, no and you probably don't want to know what I was thinking."

"We're checking you out of the hotel." Hackett began packing her things.

"The fuck you are." She frowned at him. "Will you stop touching my stuff?"

"No." Hackett ignored her.

"Bastard," she muttered.

Zaeed sat on the edge of the couch beside her. "What the bloody hell are you doing in this hotel room on your own?"

"I've spent the last…however many years…on ships or dead. Do I look like I had time to buy a house on Earth? The apartment on the Citadel was Anderson's and it was destroyed. I've got no family. Who the hell was I supposed to call when the hospital was ready to release me?" Addie was in pain and annoyed and hungry. In other words, she was angry.

"You could've fucking messaged me." He pointed out. "Or Hackett."

"Why? The entire scope of our _relationship_ outside of shooting things was two nights." She laid her head back against the couch. "I don't need help. I'll…figure this all out…somehow."

"This is more than a one-night stand." Hackett sat on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"It was technically a two-night stand." She closed her eyes and tried not to yawn. "Can you toss me the meds on the table over there?"

"Have you eaten anything? You're supposed to take this with a meal." Hackett walked over to pick up the bottle to get a better look at it.

Shepard thought about it for a minute before finally answering. "I had breakfast."

"It's three in the fucking afternoon." Zaeed shook his head and then turned to Hackett. "Do you have all of her stuff?"

Hackett checked all the cabinets and drawers. "Yep, let's get her out of here."

"Isn't this technically considered kidnapping?" She remarked when Massani swung her up into his arms and headed for the door.

"It's called concern." He carried her as gingerly as possible through the hotel and out to a waiting shuttle. Hackett followed close behind with her bags. "We've got a place just outside of the city."

"Do I get a say in the matter?" Addie asked once they had gotten settled in the shuttle.

"No." Hackett headed up to talk to the shuttle pilot.

"Bastards," she grumbled. "I was doing fine."

"Fine? You didn't seem like you were doing that bloody fine." Zaeed scowled at her. "Your fucking doctor told us that you were supposed to check into either a rehab facility or have someone with you that can help with your care. Alone in a hotel room ordering room service is not what they had in mind, goddamn it."

"Can you yell after I've had the meds? Because I'm in enough pain as it is." Shepard closed her eyes and tried to will the ache away. "Fine might be too strong of a word. I was coping."

"You weren't fucking coping." He lowered his voice a little. "Look, sweetheart, I get that you're Commander bloody Shepard, and I get that you've been _alone_ for a long time. But there are people in this world that care about you. You saved every-fucking-one, let someone help you for a change."

"I'll cooperate on one condition." She leaned her head against him.

"What's that?" Hackett stepped back over and sat across the shuttle from them.

"You," she paused to gesture between the two men. "You have to tell me how the hell you two became such good friends."

"Done." Zaeed nodded. "But after you eat, take your meds and have a nap."

"God, you're going to be bossy caregivers, aren't you?" She sighed theatrically. "Do I at least get a sponge bath? I think I'll need a lot of help with that."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

_**Rated M for a language and stuff.**_** And by language, I mean a lot of swearing because I like to swear.**

**The rest of this series will be after the war. VERY slight spoilers for ME3.**

**Shepard's name in this is Adelina(or Addie)**

**Beta: CelticGrace. **

**Bioware owns all. Sadly.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Follow. Favorite. I'll love you forever lol.**

Shepard found herself fixed on a couch in a rather large two-story home that sat on a secluded property outside of London. She'd give at least one rank to know whose house it had been before her _pushy_ male nurses had taken it over. Her head rested on a pillow in Hackett's lap and her legs draped across Zaeed's.

_She should have been napping_.

The two men were oblivious to the fact that she was awake. The Admiral was busy sending messages on a terminal set up on the side table next to the couch. Zaeed had a datapad in his hand that he was scrolling through.

"When did you two meet?" She reached out for the bottle of water on the coffee table. Her fingers just missed it. _Damn it. _

Zaeed set the datapad aside and snagged the bottle for her. Hackett helped her sit up enough to drink then eased her back down on the pillow. He went back to finishing up a message then closed the terminal.

"We met after the First Contact War." Zaeed pulled her legs back over his. His hand rested on her calf. "When we were _both_ in Alliance blue."

"You mentioned that." She lifted up a little so that Hackett could shift the pillow to provide more support.

"We ran a few missions together at one point before he went all mercenary. Massani took a bullet for me at one point. Though I do recall returning the favor when he came crawling to my door with a bullet in the head." Hackett brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"After Vido's attack?" Addie looked at Zaeed who nodded. "So how did she die?"

"Who are you talking about, sweetheart?" Zaeed's hand tightened a little on her leg.

"I'm not an idiot. You two are way too damn smooth at _working _together for me to be the first woman. And you both have the same date tattooed on your left ribcage." Shepard had noticed it the first time that they slept together.

"She was murdered." Hackett answered a lengthy silence. "In 2170, as you've figured out from the date of the tattoo."

"Murdered?" Addie regretted asking about it. She touched her hand to Hackett's hand and then to Zaeed's. "I'm sorry, forget I asked."

"Vido. The bloody bastard did it." Zaeed waved off her apology. "Thanks for helping me kill the fucker."

"Happy to help." She shifted on her side and immediately regretted it.

_Fuck_.

Her ribs were still a little tender. That was bullshit, everything was still sore. She gave up and went back to rest on her back. What she really wanted was fresh air, she used Hackett's arm for leverage and eased up into a seated position. She had to move slowly but she got herself up on her feet and began walking towards the doors that led to the back garden.

There was a small lake not too far from the house with a short dock. Addie figured that she could walk out and sit by the water for a bit. They didn't even let her get to the damn door before they were up off the couch with overly concerned looks on their faces.

"I am not going to break." She glared when Zaeed tried to pick her up. "I am however going to walk out to the lake to enjoy some fresh air."

The two men exchanged looks which never boded well for her. Ten minutes later, she was reclining on a lounger on the dock relishing the feel of fresh air. Her arm stretched out so her hand could trail through the water. It wasn't really an achievement of independence though. They'd brought the chair and carried her out to it.

_Honestly._

_Men._

The bones had all been reset. The doctor said that she wasn't supposed to overdo it. That didn't mean she couldn't walk…a little. She'd expected them to hang out by the dock with her, but instead, they'd wandered off and gave her a bit of peace. It was a warm summer day and the water on her fingers felt good.

_It gave her an idea._

Glancing around to make sure she was actually alone, Shepard eased out of the t-shirt, undies and jeans that she was wearing. The skin grafts had thankfully healed completely. But her body had certainly looked better. She had a few new scars and she'd lost a lot of weight in the month or so that she'd been in the hospital. Walking to the end of the dock, she eased herself into the water. It wasn't freezing but pleasantly warm from the afternoon sun.

_Best plan ever._

Addie lay on her back and floated lazily around the lake. She wasn't sure how the hell she was going to pull herself out but she'd figure that out eventually. It was enough that she could look up at the sky and figure out what shapes the clouds were. She drifted on her back for a good hour before she heard first one then a second person dive into the water from over by the shore.

_Men._

A hand slid from her leg all the way up over her ass. Shepard tilted her head to find that it belonged to Zaeed. His arm moved under the water to support her back. She rolled her eyes at him and with a couple easy kicks had swum away from him. They were not going to spoil her quiet swim. She went back to dozing, lulled by the motion of the water.

A moment or two later, the hand was back. This time, his fingers took their time drifting along the underside of her leg under the water. Addie opened one eye to find that Zaeed had caught up with her, and so had Hackett. She tilted her head up further to discover that they appeared to be at least partially naked.

_Interesting._

"I didn't exert myself. The water is doing all the work for me." Her hand drifted in the water and brushed against Hackett.

_Fully naked. _

_How very interesting._

Both men slid an arm underneath her to help her stay afloat while their free hands began to gently caress her body. They somehow managed to carefully avoid the still healing, tender places on her body. She slid a hand down their abdomens until she could reach far enough down to stroke both of them.

Massani leaned down to kiss her while his hand moved across her breast. Hackett bent his head do take her other nipple into his mouth. Steven moved a hand down between her legs. Zaeed's hand drifted down to join Hackett's hand. She wasn't sure which one of them had a finger in her, maybe both. But it was a lazy, slow rhythm that they built up with their fingers. They came in her hands just as she did.

The orgasm took just about everything out of her. She wasn't sure if she could make it back to the dock. Hackett took care of that but lifting her up into his arms then swimming on his back to shore. Zaeed swam a little faster so he could get out first to take her from the Admiral and lift her out of the water.

_Best. Idea. Ever._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

**Rated M for a language and stuff.**

**Fair warning: Copious amounts of cussing within.**

**VERY slight spoilers for ME3.**

**Thanks for all the follows, favorites & reviews.**

**Beta: CelticGrace. **

**Bioware owns all. Sadly.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Follow. Favorite. I'll love you forever lol.**

Fifteen years of focusing on her career had left no time for relationships. Before Hackett and Zaeed, she could count the men she'd slept with on one hand. Her last relationship had been before the first _Normandy._ Experienced was _not_ an accurate description for her level of carnal knowledge.

_And now._

She was trying to figure out was going on between the three of them and in the last three weeks, she hadn't figured out anything. She thought when they'd met on the Citadel that it had just been about _relieving_ _tension_ but if that was the case, why the hell were they playing nurse? She needed a minute to think without one _or_ two sexy distractions.

_So sexy._

_Target practice._

_That was what she needed._

Hackett was in London…actually accomplishing something Alliance related, Zaeed was…Addie hadn't figured out what he was doing but it seemed to involve a lot of muttering. With them both properly engaged, she _borrowed_ one of Massani's pistols and headed outside. She fired into one of the wooden posts attached to the dock, creating the pattern of the Alliance crest.

_Not bad._

The pistol felt good in her hand. At some point, she needed to figure out if she'd ever be medically cleared for active duty. She should've asked Hackett before he left that morning. They would probably try to force a desk job on her or a training position or some shit like that. She lifted the pistol and emptied the last of the clip until the post was completely destroyed.

Shepard took a seat in the grass and set the pistol beside her. She had to do something other than sleep, eat and engage in activities that she wasn't medically cleared for. Before the war ended, Liara had mentioned the idea of Shepard coming to work with her if she rebuilt the Shadow Broker networks. It wasn't a bad idea. And it would remove any hint of _breaking the regs_ if the relationship with either or both men continued.

* * *

_From: Shepard_

_To: Liara_

_Subj: Remember that job offer?_

_Have you managed to get your new base up and running?_

_Shepard_

* * *

_From: Liara_

_Shepard_

_Subj: Job Offer._

_The network is more secure than it was before the war._

_Are you finished with your recovery? If so, I can have a shuttle pick you up in a few days._

_I had intended to repeat the offer but thought you might prefer to remain with the Alliance._

_I'll send you over few reports on some mercenary groups that I've been monitoring._

_Liara_

* * *

Shepard pulled up the _request for retirement_ form from the Alliance server and filled it out. She sent it to _Admiral Hackett _and the Alliance Department of Reserve Affairs, that way he couldn't pretend that he didn't receive it. She also attached the most recent reports from her doctors.

Grabbing the pistol, she walked slowly back to the house. Zaeed was still muttering at a desk in the office. They shared a bed more often than not, but she'd still left most of her things in one of the guest rooms. She headed there and began figure out what she'd need to buy in London.

Armor and weapons were a definite. The armor she'd been wearing during the war and been destroyed in the last minutes of the battle. And she had no idea what happened to her damn guns. They were probably still on the _Normandy._ She needed fatigues as well. Pulling her omni-tool, she sat down on the bed to jot down a few notes for herself. Maybe she'd spend a few days in London shopping before she left. It was so much easier when she had a requisitions officer.

"Planning a trip, sweetheart?" Zaeed asked.

She glanced up from her digital list to find Massani standing by the door. "Maybe."

"Hackett just sent me a goddamn message." He moved over to lean against the dresser in front of her. "Do you know what it says?"

"No." Addie went back to adding items to the list of things that she needed to do when she got to London. She also noticed a message from Liara with an exact date and the promised files.

"Do you want to know what it says?" He grabbed the shirt that she was folding out of her hands.

"If I say no, are you planning on telling me anyway?" She looked up at him and held out her hand for the shirt. She laughed when he glared at her. "That's what I thought."

"Why are you packing?" Zaeed dangled the shirt in front of her.

"I'm going up to London for a few days." Shepard decided to go with a portion of the truth for now.

"It's not another bloody Doctor's visit so why now?" Zaeed finally tossed the shirt back to her. "Aren't you supposed to be taking it easy for at least another week?"

"Is London more strenuous than dealing with you and Hackett?" She refolded the shirt and put it in her bag. With a sigh, she looked up at him. "Yes, I plan on retiring from the military. The doctors are leaning towards that direction anyway. And, yes, there's more to the trip to London than just a visit."

"How much more?" He moved away from the dresser and picked the bag up from the bed to set it on the floor.

Addie gave him a suspicious look. "The Shadow Broker…needs a favor. She's sending a shuttle for me in a few days."

"A favor?" Zaeed leaned down over her with his hands resting on the bed. He placed a kiss on her raised eyebrow. "What sort of favor, sweetheart?"

"One that doesn't require interference from interfering bastards," she remarked.

"Going alone, then?" His lips moved along her neck. He shifted forward and it forced her to lie back on the bed. "All alone? Are you sure you won't want company?"

"Yes, I'm certain that…" She swallowed hard when he moved his hand from the bed to place it firmly over her groin. His fingers pressed in against her jeans. "I'm going by myself, Massani."

"Mhmm," he muttered against her neck while his fingers continued to massage her through the rough denim.

"I'm not changing my mind." She couldn't stop her body from moving against his fingers.

"I'm _not_ goddamn finished yet." He increased the pressure and speed of his hand. "You might miss us, Addie. Then where would you be?"

"A shuttle ride away?"

"Two guns are always better than one." Zaeed's fingers shifted up to undo her jeans and slide them off of her.

"I believe that's the point you and Hackett have been trying to make." Shepard intended to enjoy every single moment of his hands on her body, but it wasn't going to change her mind. "I'm still not changing my mind."

"Maybe I should just stop what I'm doing." He removed his hand.

"If you think that I'm going to let you wind me up like that, then walk away, you've got another thing coming, Massani." Her fingers tangled in the front of his shirt and flipped him over on his back. She tugged his trousers and boxers off of him before straddling him with her hands resting on his chest. "When the hell did this become more than just sex with you two?"

He slid his hands up under her t-shirt to cup her breasts. "Stick around, Sweetheart, you might goddamn find out."

Shepard stroked him with her hand for a few moments before gradually lowering herself down on him. His fingers teased and tugged her nipples while she rolled her hips. His hands tugged a little harder to speed up her movements. His hips lifted up to meet hers.

One of his hands skimmed across her abdomen between them to dip inside and stroke her. The additional sensation caused her breath to hitch in her throat. She began to tremble while his fingers probed then grazed against her clit. He pulled her down into a kiss. The sensations overwhelmed her and sent her flying over the edge. It didn't take long for him to follow her.

"We could go with you." Zaeed muttered breathlessly against her lips.

She rolled over on her back. "I never said that I wouldn't fucking come back."

Addie relaxed on the recliner out on the deck watching the sunset much later. She'd brought a book with her but hadn't managed to move past the first sentence. She heard footsteps muffled by the lawn and looked over her shoulder to see Hackett heading towards her. He'd changed out of his dress uniform into jeans and an Alliance sweatshirt. She turned back to the horizon.

"You didn't think you could talk to me about retiring?" He seemed disappointed or hurt, maybe both.

Shepard sat up in the chair cross-legged which left enough room for him to sit beside her. "The thought did briefly occur to me before I hit send."

"And?"

"I hit it anyway," she shrugged.

"And the Shadow Broker?" He took a seat and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his intertwined hands.

"I'm not really a sit by the lake for the rest of my life type of woman." Addie set her book aside. "I want to do something."

"And you couldn't accomplish _something_ in the Alliance?" Hackett asked.

"You know as well as I do that I'll never see another second of active duty again. If I stay in the Alliance, I'll get promoted up the chain and shoved behind a desk." She smiled when he shot her an annoyed look. "I know the whole Admiral gig works for you. It's sexy. But I need to shoot things."

"I do not just sit behind a desk," he frowned.

"True. Sometimes you stand behind it." She smiled when his frown deepened. "I'm leaving in three days."

"We can't change your mind?" He turned to look at her.

Addie scooted up enough that her legs pressed against him. "Nope."

"_Nope?_" He turned to lean down to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"Massani already tried this particular tactic. It didn't work for him." She lifted a hand so her fingers could trace the scar on his face. "I'll be back, you know."

"So you're leaving in three days?"

She nodded in response.

"Plenty of time." He stood suddenly and lifted her up off the recliner. He grabbed her by the hand and led her towards the house.

"For what?" She stumbled on a tuft of grass.

"To change your mind."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

**Rated M for a language and stuff.**

**Fair warning: Copious amounts of cussing within.**

**VERY slight spoilers for ME3.**

**Thanks for all the follows, favorites & reviews.**

**Beta: CelticGrace. **

**Bioware owns all. Sadly.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Follow. Favorite. I'll love you forever lol.**

The library had become Addie's favorite part of the house. It was filled with real books, not datapads. It was late in the evening when she got comfortable on one of the large couches with a book of short stories by Mark Twain. She had barely gotten through the first story when Hackett wandered in. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him peruse through the books before selecting one. He walked over to the couch and stretched out on it with his head in her lap.

"Comfortable?" She grabbed a cushion to put under his head so reading would be easier for him.

"Immeasurably." His blue eyes twinkled up at her before focusing on the book in his hand.

Shepard tried to go back to the next story in her book but finally set it aside. Her fingers feathered through his hair as he began to read aloud. It took a few paragraphs before she recognized the opening chapter to A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway. After a while, she shifted her hand from playing with his hair to moving inside the collar of his shirt. She liked the warmth of his skin against her palm along with the feel of his heartbeat.

His hand came up to cover hers and he tilted his head to look into her eyes. "You could stay."

"No."

"We could go with you." He closed the book and laid it on his chest.

"You have the Alliance to run. Can you imagine the chaos that would happen if Admiral Hackett wasn't there?" Addie pointed out with a grin. "And I don't need babysitters."

"It's called back-up." He chuckled when she pulled on one of his chest hairs.

"My answer hasn't changed." Shepard found the more subtle attempts by Hackett harder to ignore.

The two men both tugged at her mind and her heart if she was honest with herself. She didn't feel like being honest with herself just yet. That was the main reason that she'd contacted Liara in the first place. Anything that the Shadow Broker needed would provide the space that she wanted to think. She'd gone through the reports that T'soni had forwarded to her. Someone was hunting down former Cerberus operatives and killing them.

The operatives had switched over to the Alliance during the war and Shepard couldn't figure out who'd want them all dead. It had come to Liara's attention when someone had tried to go after Jacob Taylor and his wife Dr. Cole. The attempt on their life had failed, but something needed to be done.

"Are you still with me, Addie?" Hackett reached up a finger to touch her chin.

"I'm leaving in the morning. Shuttle should be here around ten." She caught the brief flash of some stronger emotion in his eyes before it was gone.

"Do you have everything that you need?" Hackett moved up off of the couch.

She frowned at his back as he left the room before she had a chance to answer his question. _Men. _They had both disappeared by the time she wandered into the living room. With a shrug, she decided to head upstairs to take a quick shower. There were a few last-minute items that she needed to take care of before the morning.

The warm water helped her relax a bit. She hadn't been in the shower more than five minutes when she heard the bathroom door open and close. She glanced over her showered to find Hackett and Massani joining her in the shower stall. They were only slightly blurred by the spray in her face.

She started to move out from under water when hands gripped her waist and pressed her back against the shower wall. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision. By the time that she could actually see them clearly, her body was on fire from the hands and lips making short work of revving her body up. She was reaching out to touch them when Zaeed lifted his head from her breast.

"We'll let you finish up here and get some rest." Zaeed smirked at her before removing his hands and stepping out of the shower.

"Let us know if you change your mind about leaving." Hackett's lips brushed against her neck. He followed Massani out of the bathroom.

_Fucking bastards._

_Cheating, goddamn, conniving and every other negative adjective she could think of._

Shepard was seated in the shuttle the following morning when Zaeed stepped inside. "Can I help you?"

"I need a ride to London." He smirked at her before sitting in a seat across from her with his legs stretched out. His foot tapped against her leg.

"You need a ride to London?"

"Yep." He leaned his head back against the shuttle and closed his eyes. His damn foot kept brushing against her calf so she knew he wasn't sleeping.

_Bastard._


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**

**Rated M for a language and stuff.**

**Fair warning: Copious amounts of cussing within.**

**VERY slight spoilers for ME3.**

**Thanks for all the follows, favorites & reviews.**

**Beta: CelticGrace. **

**Bioware owns all. Sadly.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Follow. Favorite. I'll love you forever lol.**

Shepard had intended to spend at least a week in London before heading out to meet Feron. She was picking up a new set of Serrice Council armor that she'd had customized when a message from Liara came in. The mystery assassin had struck again. And this time, Addie felt the hit a little more personally.

They'd apparently tracked down Kenneth Donnelly and Gabby Daniels. The last she'd heard they were celebrating their engagement on the Citadel. The celebration had ended with both injured. She told Liara to pull all the security footage and see if she could get the C-Sec report on the incident. Feron was headed to follow up on a lead while Shepard intended to visit the Citadel.

T'soni had managed to _requisition _an N7 Valiant and Eagle for Shepard. The weapons were already on their way to the Citadel. She could pick them up at her apartment which was all patched up from the damage it had sustained during the war. The Shadow Broker was a miracle worker.

A few hours later, Addie sat on her couch on the Citadel going through the security vids that Liara had forwarded to her. Bailey volunteered up his report when she visited C-sec HQ. He'd liked both of the engineers. Gabby and Ken were doing well, and were under guard at Huerta. T'soni was going through the vids as well, but Shepard figured two sets of eyes couldn't hurt. She gave up about five hours in. Her eyes were blurry and her stomach was growling.

_Time for dinner._

Her fridge turned out to be empty so she decided to head out to find a restaurant, one without giant fish tanks, visits to those always ended badly. She stepped out the elevator into the lobby and walked right into two very familiar men.

"I'm going to find food. You can pester me while I'm eating." She pushed between them and headed out of the building. They followed her to one of the nearby restaurants and were thankfully quiet until food arrived.

"I thought you were supposed to be in London." Hackett had opted for a glass of scotch.

"I thought you were _supposed_ to be, you know…_admiralling_." She took a bite of the spicy noodles. It reminded her of Grunt's adventure on the Citadel.

"What exactly _are_ you doing for the Shadow Broker?" Hackett ignored her comment.

"Investigating."

She focused on her bowl of noodles and refused to answer any other questions. They were following her back to her apartment later when she got the glimpse of a familiar figure in the distance. She couldn't place the face. She dodged around a few people in the crowd to follow the man. She picked up her pace but he was already gone. Probably in one of the skycars that were taking off from a nearby landing pad.

"Fuck," she muttered with an annoyed sigh.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Zaeed tapped her on the shoulder until she turned around.

"I thought I saw someone." Addie sent a quick message to Liara, maybe she could pinpoint who she'd seen.

"Who did you think you saw?" Hackett asked once it became evident that she wasn't going to offer anything further.

"I'm not sure. I can't put a name to the face." Shepard felt incredibly frustrated. Maybe it had been nothing, but something about the man pulled at her memory.

"Does this have anything to do with the attack on Donnelly and Daniels?" Hackett gave her a discerning look.

"That was one reason that I decided to head to the Citadel. I wanted to make sure that they were ok." Shepard started back to her apartment.

The thought had occurred to her that if someone was going after former Cerberus operatives, then she might be on their list. Anyone that had been on the _Normandy_ during the mission to destroy the Collectors would be on the list. It might be a good idea to have a message sent to the former crew as a warning. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she forgot completely about her two _followers_ until they were crowding her once she'd gotten back to her apartment.

"Yes?" She raised an eyebrow at them.

"What are you investigating?" Hackett asked.

Addie shrugged and ducked between them over to gather up the reports that she'd been working on. She tossed them into her bag. There were only a few hours left before the transport was leaving. She didn't have time to deal with anything or anyone else. Her new weapons needed to be stripped and customized. She headed up to the weapons table in the upstairs bedroom to finish that up.

"Who shot Gabby and Kenneth?" Zaeed gave the pistol an once-over while she switched out the scope on her sniper rifle.

"I don't know." She lied with the truth.

"Take Massani with you." Hackett sat on the bed facing her.

"No. First, you do not get to order me around anymore, not Alliance. Second, sometimes a mission requires a single operative go in alone to avoid detection. You might know a little something about that." She looked up from the rifle to meet Hackett's gaze. "Remember Aratoht?"

Steven was the one to look away first. "I might have been mistaken with the Doctor Kenson mission."

"Might?" Shepard went back to finishing the last mod on the rifle.

Setting the N7 Valiant aside, she took the pistol back from Massani. She lightened the weapon and added an extended clip. It never hurt to have more ammo available. It had been a pleasant surprise to find her old Locust still in the apartment. She packed the three weapons and suited up into her armor. There wasn't much point in carrying it if she could wear it.

"You can see yourselves out, I assume. I only have an hour before I have to leave and need to visit Huerta one last time." She grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

Zaeed stepped between her and the bedroom doorway. "That's it? I don't bloody think so."

"I'm not her." Addie decided to stop dancing around the issue. "The woman who Vido murdered? I'm not her. I'm completely capable of going on a mission on my own and surviving it. And I'd appreciate it if you two would stop treating me like I'm helpless."

"We're not…"

"And if you've forgotten, you trusted me to lead the charge against the Reapers. So trust me when I say, I can handle this." Shepard hefted her bag over her shoulder and sidestepped Massani to head out the door.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**

**Rated M for a language and stuff**

**Fair warning: Copious amounts of cussing within.**

**VERY slight spoilers for ME3.**

**Thanks for all the follows, favorites & reviews.**

**Beta: CelticGrace. **

**Bioware owns all. Sadly.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Follow. Favorite. I'll love you forever lol.**

Addie's first stop was Illium. Liara had a ship docked there to pick her up to bring her to the new broker base near Hagalaz. With a room set up to come back to, she headed _back_ to Ilium to meet with Miaranda Lawson who had information a few days later.

She learned that Doctor Gavin Archer was the latest dead scientist. Jacob sent word through Miranda that three other scientists that had been on Gellix had been attacked as well but managed to escape. It reminded her of the last time that she'd been trying to figure out who was killing scientists.

It was during her time on the first _Normandy_. Corporal Toombs had been killing the scientists involved with the Thresher Maw attack on Akuze. She hadn't known that anyone else had survived the attack aside from herself at the time. Toombs had testified against Cerberus but nothing had ever been done.

_Shit._

The man on the Citadel that had seemed so familiar, he looked like Toombs. She sent a quick message to Liara. With a name, they might be able to track him down to see if he was on the Citadel or anywhere near any of the attacks.

It took another week or two before they could trace the attacks to a small merc group that had been formed after the trial by Toombs. Liara found intel about three bases that might be attached to the group. There was on outside of Denver on Earth, one not far from Omega and another on Klensal in the Dis system.

Earth seemed like the best place to start. She found a hotel room in Denver to get some sleep. It had been a long trip bouncing around various systems for the past few weeks. She'd been too busy to think about Zaeed and Steven. She had kept herself too busy to think about them or contact them for that matter.

_Insomnia was such a bitch._

She was up before the sun to head to the base near Grand Junction. It was a wild goose chase. The base didn't exist, if it had existed, they destroyed any trace of it before leaving. She headed back to Denver to book a transport to the Citadel. That was the plan, instead, she found herself on a shuttle bound for London.

_She missed them…both of them._

The young Lieutenant behind the desk informed Shepard that Admiral Hackett usually ate lunch at a pub around the corner. She found him at a booth in the back having lunch with Massani. She walked up to the table and slid into the seat beside Zaeed.

"Are you going to eat that?" She motioned to his half –empty plate of food.

"Enjoy." He pushed the plate over to her. His hand dropped down to rest on his knee. "It's bloody good to see you, sweetheart."

She placed her hand over his. "I told you that I'd be back."

"How long are you staying?" Hackett looked at her over the rim of his beer.

"Not long."

"Are you going to tell us about the person killing off former Cerberus operatives?" Steven set his pint down on the table and leaned forward with his elbows on the table.

"I don't have much information to share at the moment. We're not certain who's doing it or why." Addie went back to focusing on the pie that she was eating. "I was following up on a lead in Denver and I'm supposed to be on my way to Omega but my feet brought me here instead."

"When are you leaving again?" Zaeed's hand on her knee tightened.

"0800."

Addie didn't get a chance to finish the pie. Hackett stood up about a minute before Zaeed did. They pulled her up with them and headed for the door. Steven's hand held hers while Massani's arm wrapped around her shoulder. They walked to a townhouse not far from the pub. The hand on her shoulder drifted down her spine to slide into her back pocket as they went up the steps into home.

"I was actually eating that pie. I skipped breakfast this morning." She complained when they stepped into the living room.

"I'll fix something for you in a bit," Hackett promised.

Shepard started to respond but was cut off by Zaeed's lips on hers. He used the hand in her back pocket to bring her into his arms. _They had apparently missed her. _ Hackett pressed into her from behind. If the hardening bulges that she could feel were a clue, they'd _really_ missed her. Massani's tongue dueled with hers while two sets of hands caressed every reachable part of her body before they began to remove her clothing and their own.

The three of them ended up in a tangled pile on the bed. Hands and lips drifted all over her body. Massani lifted her up and over on top of Hackett. She moved against him while she felt Zaeed's hands teased her breasts. She reached down to stroke him while Steven thrust up into her again and again.

As he finished, Zaeed pulled her up onto her knees and surged into her. His hand slid along her back and around to cup her breasts. Hackett shifted down on the bed so he could reach underneath. His fingers delving in to flick against her clit, the intensity of the orgasm caused her to collapse forward taking Massani with her. He rolled off after a moment to keep from crushing her into the bed.

"That might have been slightly better than the pie." Addie lay on her back trying to catch her breath.

"Again with the pie." Hackett shook his head.

"Slightly?" Zaeed turned her on her side and pulled her back against him, his arms wrapping around her.

"It was really good pie."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:**

**This is probably the last chapter. I do have an idea for an alternate version of this that starts earlier in the ME world timeline, closer to ME2 than the end of Me3. We'll see.**

**Rated M for a language and stuff**

**Fair warning: Copious amounts of cussing within.**

**VERY slight spoilers for ME3.**

**Thanks for all the follows, favorites & reviews.**

**Beta: CelticGrace. **

**Bioware owns all. Sadly.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review.. Favorite. I'll love you forever lol.**

Up and dressed at 0600, Addie sat on the edge of the bed pulling he boots on. Zaeed leaned against the nearby wall watching her. They'd argued long into the night. She had finally agreed to Zaeed joining her on the jump to Omega. If he assumed that he was going with her from there on to the next base that was _his mistake_.

Shepard went from one docking bay to the other on Omega before Zaeed even knew that she'd left the Alliance vessel that they'd arrived on. Liara had sent one of her ships to meet her. Massani was not likely to be amused when he realized it.

_Tough shit._

* * *

_Inter-Relay Text Chat_

_Location: Omega_

_From: Z. Massani_

_To: A. Shepard_

_14:16 Z: What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?_

_14:21 A: Teaching two cranky, interfering, overbearing bastards a lesson._

_14:22 Z: Oh?_

_14:23 A: I didn't get to N7 because of my wit and good looks._

_14:26 Z: Are you certain about that, sweetheart?_

_14:28 A: Enjoy the trip back to Earth. I'll keep in touch._

_14:29 User has disconnected._

* * *

The base near Omega was another dead-end. It was just as empty as the Denver one had been. Either the intel had been bad or the bastards were one step ahead of her. She was headed to Klensal when Hackett finally caught up with her.

* * *

_Inter-Relay Text Chat_

_Location: London_

_From: S. Hackett_

_To: A. Shepard_

_22:03 H: I don't like wasting Alliance resources unnecessarily._

_22:05 S: And I don't like being treated like fractured glass._

_22:07 H: It's called concern, Addie. Concern. It's common to feel that way about someone that you care about._

_22:18 H: You've gone awfully quiet._

_22:20 S: Are we…an us?_

_22:21 H: I think you're going to have to add a few more words into that sentence before I know how to answer it._

_22:23 S: I mean you, Zaeed and me. Are we…something official that's not just screwing around periodically?_

_22:24 H: Ahh. We'd like to be._

_22:26 S: Ok._

_22:28 H: Ok? What exactly does Ok mean?_

_22:31 S: It means what ok usually means as a derivative of yes. _

_22:32 S: I'll talk to you later. I've just got the base on Klensal to check out then I'm heading back to Earth for a few days. Good night._

_22:33 User had disconnected._

_._

* * *

_From: Liara T'soni_

_To: Admiral Hackett_

_Subj: Cmdr. Shepard_

_She was on her way to Klensal when I lost contact with her._

_I'd send in some of my operatives but she asked me to send a message to you or Massani if something happened._

_Shall I send someone in or do you want to handle it?_

_Liara_

* * *

Shepard lay on her back in the base with her hand pressed into the wound on her leg. Corporal Toombs was dead, as were his men. That was the good news. The bad news was that she was shot; she had no omni-tool and no mode of transport. She had pulled a _Vega_ and crashed her shuttle into their shuttle on the way down. Her omni-tool appeared to be on the fucking fritz. It probably had to do with getting tossed around the shuttle in the process of landing.

_Good job, Addie. _

_Brilliant._

With an annoyed sigh, she grabbed a sniper rifle off of a dead merc and used it as a walking stick. She ripped the bottom of her shirt to wrap it around her leg. With the rifle, she limped out of the base to see what kind of vehicle if any was working. The stupid bastards had to get to the planet somehow. They didn't magically appear out of thin air.

She found a banged up Kodiak that she couldn't start.

_Damn it._

_Where the hell was Cortez when she needed the fucker? He could fix anything._

Sitting down on one of the seats in the shuttle, Addie considered her options. It was getting dark out. She decided to head back to the base. Odds were that one of the mercs had an omni-tool on them. She stepped out of the Kodiak only to find a second one landing. She ducked back inside and pulled the rifle up in her arms. She scoped out the door and her fingers hovered over the trigger.

Instead of more mercs though, Massani stepped out of the shuttle followed quickly by Hackett. Both in armor, and both holding weapons, they headed towards the base. While they cleared the empty base, Addie limped over to their shuttle. She eased herself into one of the seats to wait for them. The shuttle pilot looked up at her in surprise before handing her medi-gel which she quickly applied to the wound on her leg.

She leaned back against the seat to wait for them to return. It wouldn't take long for them to figure out that no one was left alive. And it didn't. A few minutes passed before Massani came back into view.

"Shepard?" Zaeed stopped just before entering the shuttle. "Did you kill all those goddamn bastards?"

"Do I seem like the type to wait for rescue?" She kept her hand over the blood stain on her armor and remained seated.

"We were fucking worried." He crouched in front of her and removed her hand to get a better look at the healing gunshot wound. "

"Where's Steven?" She looked around Zaeed out the door.

"Making sure that we didn't miss any sign of where the hell you are." Massani moved up to sit beside her. He reached down to hold her hand tightly. "It's not the first time that we've tried to bloody rescue a woman that we both care a great deal about."

Addie didn't have a response for that. She turned out to not need one however as Hackett chose that moment to return. He looked completely dejected to have not found her. He stormed over to the pilot to tell him to head back to the ship and seemed to completely miss her presence on the shuttle entirely. Even after he took a seat across from Zaeed, the Admiral was lost in thought.

"Find anything interesting?" Shepard asked when he didn't look up.

"Dead bodies." Hackett lifted his head slowly.

"If you intend to yell at me or say I told you so, I suggest that you reconsider. I still have at least one bullet left in the clip of my rifle," Addie warned.

Hackett moved across the shuttle to sit on the other side of her. "Did you have a plan for getting off the planet?"

"I was working on it." She rested her head against his arm. "How the hell did Vega handle crashing that Kodiak on Mars so well?"

"He's built like a bloody tank," Zaeed chuckled.

"I do not recommend midair crashes. It hurts more than being shot." Addie found that now she'd stopped moving, the various bruises that she'd gotten were starting to hurt.

The scope of her bruising wasn't immediately evident until they got up to theCaptain's quarters on the ship. Hackett and Massani helped her out of her armor. The wound on her leg was healing nicely thanks to the medi-gel. The bruises would take a while to fade away though. There was nothing pleasant about being covered with bruises, blood and dust.

They pulled her fatigues off and led her into the shower. Two gentle pairs of hands soaped up and massaged the non-bruised parts of her body. Zaeed shampooed her hair while Hackett knelt in front of her to pay careful attention to the lower half of her body. He was particularly gentle around the new medi-gel scar on her leg.

Once the two were apparently satisfied with the state of her cleanliness, they helped her dry off and led her over to the bed. She hadn't gotten much sleep the previous few days so she crawled under the covers and they soon followed her under them. Zaeed lay on his back. She snuggled up to him on her side with one arm and leg draped across him. Hackett shifted until he was curled around her from the back.

She woke up after a few hours of sleep in the exact same position. Her fingers traced one of the tattoos on Zaeed's chest. He muttered something in his sleep and a moment later his hand came up to cover hers. Hackett's arm around her tightened a little. She closed her eyes again and enjoyed listening to the two of them sleeping.

Before reaching Klensal, Addie had talked with Liara at length about what her role in the Shadow Broker's organization would be once Toombs had been taken care of. They'd decided that she would be based on Earth which suited her just fine. Since the relays were all working, and the Citadel was stuck in the Sol system. It made sense for Liara to have at least one person on Earth. And if Addie was that person, it meant waking up in bed like this more frequently.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" A tired voice murmured from behind into her ear.

She turned around so that she was facing Hackett. "Thinking."

"About?" He sounded concerned.

"Us." She was about to say more when Zaeed rolled on his side to move up behind her.

"What about _us?_" Massani slid an arm around her.

"I'm going to be working for the Shadow Broker." She let her fingers trail along Hackett's chest.

"We know." Steven frowned at her.

"Yes, but I'm going to be doing most of it from London." Shepard ignored the frown.

"London?"

"It's hard to wake up in sexy sandwich if I'm not on Earth periodically." She pushed back against Zaeed. "I've grown attached to the idea."

"How's your leg feeling?" Hackett's fingers moved to lift her chin up a little.

"Better than the bruises," Addie answered with a rueful grin.

"Then we'll just have to be extra gentle." Zaeed's fingers began to glide down her spine while Steven leaned in to kiss her.

"Gentle?" She spoke against Hackett's lips.

"Oh, we can be very, very _gentle." _Hackett let his fingers softly graze along the underside of her breast.

"I'll keep that in mind in the future." She turned on her back between them. "I'd like a little more gentleness now, thanks."


End file.
